Central European Journal for Contemporary Religion is a scholarly journal published both by the Hussite Theological Faculty of the Charles University and Karolinum Publishers, which aims to serve as a publication platform for Comparative Religion and related disciplines. It focuses mainly on contemporary religious phenomena with special (but not exclusive) focus on Central and Eastern Europe. It should serve both as a source of information on te religious life in the region and as a supply of scholarly studies focused on contemporary lived religion at large. It is published semi-annually both in print and online (free access). Its goal is to bring thought-provoking contributions related not only to current established religions and religious movements new and old, but also to contemporary spirituality in its wider context, including the New Age milieu, Neopaganism and pop-cultural spirituality. The journal also covers the latest theoretical and methodological trends in Comparative Religion, Ritual Studies and other disciplines. The editorial board consists of scholars from most Czech Comparative Religion departments, as well as experts on the most important religious traditions across the globe.
CENTRAL EUROPEAN JOURNAL FOR CONTEMPORARY RELIGION, Vol 1 No 2 (2017), 1–18
The Role of the Apostates in the Twelve Tribes conflict in Germany
Zdeněk Vojtíšek
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/25704893.2017.7
zveřejněno: 13. 11. 2017
Abstract
The testimonies of the apostates and their captivity narratives and atrocity tales often have a great impact on the conflict between new religious movements and general society. The reason behind this is both the great persuasive power that those narratives wield, which stems from personal experience, and the negative bias of the public that seldom questions their truthfulness and accuracy. One of the examples of apostates’ narratives largely contributing to a violent solution of a conflict with a New Religious Movement, is the case of the Twelve Tribes. The article describes the role of the apostates that led to a raid on a German community of this movement in 2013 and pursues parallels with the raid on a community of the same movement in 1984 in Vermont. The text also briefly mentions other violent conflicts in new religious movements at large.
klíčová slova: Twelve Tribes movement; New Religious Movements; religious community; apostasy; raid; “captivity narratives”; “atrocity tales”
reference (38)
1. Becker, Claudia, "Sekten-Ausstieg: 'Ich konnte einfach keine Kinder mehr schlagen'" (online), Welt, 9. 10. 2014, retrieved 10. 9. 2016, available online at https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article133084896/Ich-konnte-einfach-keine-Kinder-mehr-schlagen.html.
2. Beckford, James, "The Media and New Religious Movements", in James R. Lewis (ed.), From the Ashes. Making Sense of Waco, Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield 1994, p. 143–148.
3. Beckford, James, Cult Controversies: The Societal Response to the New Religious Movements, London, New York: Tavistock 1985, 331 p.
4. Bromley, David G. (ed.), The Politics of Religious Apostasy: The Role of Apostates in the Transformation of Religious Movements, Westport, London: Praeger 1998, 244 p.
5. Bromley, David G., "Leaving the Fold. Disaffiliating from New Religious Movements", in James R. lewis, The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements, Oxford etc.: Oxford University Press 2004, p. 298–314.
6. Bromley, David G., "The Social Construction of Contested Exit Roles: Defectors, Whistleblowers, and Apostates", in David G. bromley (ed.), The Politics of Religious Apostasy: The Role of Apostates in the Transformation of Religious Movements, Westport, London: Praeger 1998, p. 19–48.
7. Claudia Frickel, "Die 'Zwölf Stämme': Brutale Erziehung und strenge Regeln", Web.de,
8. "Deutschland, wie behandelst Du unsere Kinder?" (online), News Zwölf Stämme ~ Herzlich Willkommen, 14. 6. 2016, retrieved 10. 9. 2016, available online at https://news.zwoelfstaemme.de/2016/01/14/deutschland-wie-behandelst-du-deine-kinder/.
9. "The Education of our Children", Island Pond, October 1979, in Foundational Teachings of the Twelve Tribes. Book Two (Di–G), Parchment Press.
10. Galanter, Marc, Cults. Faith, Healing, and Coercion, New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press 1999, 273 p.
11. Guyton, Patrick, "Ich hatte keine Kindheit. Ich habe geschufftet" (online), Der Tagesspiegel, 17. 6. 2014, retrieved 10. 9. 2016, available online at http://www.tagesspiegel.de/themen/reportage/sekte-zwoelf-staemme-ein-aussteiger-erzaehlt-ich-hatte-keine-kindheit-ich-habe-geschuftet/10044034.html.
12. Hall, John R., "Public Narratives and the Apocalyptic Sect", in Stuart A. Wright (ed.), Armageddon in Waco: Critical Perspectives on the Branch Davidian Conflict, Chicago, London: The University of Chicago Press 1995, p. 212–228.
13. Hall, John R., "The Impact of Apostates on the Trajectory of Religious Movements: The Case of Peoples Temple", in: David G. Bromley (ed.), Falling from Faith: Causes and Consequences of Religious Apostasy, Newbury Park: Sage Publications 1988, p. 229–250.
14. Herbrich, Vivian, "Die unheimliche Sekte 'Zwölf Stämme': Ein Aussteiger packt aus" (online), Huffington Post, 17. 6. 2014, retrieved 10. 9. 2016, available online at http://www.huffingtonpost.de/2014/06/17/sekte-zwoelf-staemme-aussteiger-packt-aus_n_5499399.html.
15. Introvigne, Massimo, "Defectors, Ordinary Leave-takers, and Apostates: A Quantitative Study of Former Members of New Acropolis in France", Nova Religio 3 (1, 1999): p. 83–99.
16. Johnson, Daniel Carson, "Apostates Who Never Were: The Social Construction of Absque Facto Apostate Narratives", in: David G. Bromley (ed.), The Politics of Religious Apostasy: The Role of Apostates in the Transformation of Religious Movements, Westport, London: Praeger 1998, p. 115–138.
17. "The Kidnapping of Rebecca Westbrooks" (online), TwelveTribes.org, retrieved 27. 3. 2017, available online at http://twelvetribes.org/controversies/kidnapping-rebecca-westbrooks.
18. Lavin, Stuart R., God's People. In Search of a Destiny. A Look into the Twelve Tribes Messianic Communities, Jerusalem House (Kindle) 2016, without pagination.
19. Lewis, James R., "Reconstructing the 'Cult' Experience: Post-Involvement Attitudes as a Function of Mode of Exit and Post-Involvement Socialization", Sociological Analysis, 47 (2, 1986): p. 151–159.
20. Lüpke-Narberhaus, Frauke, "Leben nach der Sekte: 'Ich habe keine Wurzeln und keine Kraft zu fliegen'" (online), Spiegel Online, 27. 1. 2014, retrieved 10. 9. 2016, available online at http://www.spiegel.de/lebenundlernen/schule/zwoelf-staemme
21. Mauss, Armand L., "Apostasy and the Management of Spoiled Identity", in David G. Bromley (ed.), The Politics of Religious Apostasy: The Role of Apostates in the Transformation of Religious Movements, Westport, London: Praeger 1998, p. 51–73.
22. Our Child Training Manual II., part 12: What Discipline is Not (online), 2000, retrieved 21. 3. 2017, p. 77, available online at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2994399/OUR-CHILD-TRAINING-MANUAL.pdf.
23. Palmer, Susan J., "Frontiers and Families: The Children of Island Pond", in Susan J. Palmer and Charlotte E. Hardman (eds.), Children in New Religions, New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press 1999, p. 157–161.
24. Palmer, Susan J., "Sekten in Germany: The Case of the Twelve Tribes", a paper presented at the IAHR Conference, Erfurt, 27. 8. 2015. Palmer, Susan, "Apostates and their Role in the Construction of Grievance Claims Against the Northeast Kingdom/Messianic Communities", in David, G. Bromley, (ed.): The Politics of Religious Apostasy: The Role of Apostates in the Transformation of Religious Movements, Westport, London: Praeger 1998, p. 191–208.
25. Pleyer, Robert, and Axel Wolfsgruber, Der Satan schläft nie: Mein Leben bei den Zwölf Stämmen, München: Knaur 2014, 266 p.
26. The Purpose of Creation & Redemption (online), a Twelve Tribes freepaper, TwelveTribes.com, retrieved 21. 3. 2017, available online at http://www.twelvetribes.com/articles/purpose-creation-redemption.
27. "Razzia bei Sekte '12 Stämme' – RTL-Reporter liefert Beweise für Kindesmisshandlung" (online), RTLNext.RTL.de, 5. 8. 2014, accessed 10. 9. 2016, available online at http://rtlnext.rtl.de/cms/razzia-bei-sekte-12-staemme-rtl-reporter-liefert-beweise-fuer-kindesmisshandlung-1620767.html.
28. Shupe, Anson D., and David G. Bromley, "Apostates and Atrocity Stories: Some Parameters in the Dynamic of Deprogramming", in Bryan Wilson (ed.), The Social Impact of New Religious Movements, Barrytown: Rose of Sharon Press 1981, p. 179–234.
29. Solomon, Trudy, "Integrating the 'Moonie' Experience: A Survey of Ex-Members of the Unification Church", in Thomas Robbins and Dick Anthony (eds.), In Gods We Trust: New Patterns of Religious Pluralism in America, Princeton: Rutgers University Press 1981, p. 275–294.
30. Stark, Rodney, and Roger Finke, Acts of Faith, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press 2000, 349 p.
31. Swantko, Jean A., "A 25-year Retrospective on the Impact of the Anti-Cult Movement on our Children" (online), TwelveTribes.prg, retrieved 10. 9. 2016, available online at http://twelvetribes.org/controversies/25-year-retrospective-impact-anti-cult-movement-our-children.
32. Swantko Wiseman, Jean, "Spanking Bans and the Faith of Families: The Twelve Tribes in the European Court of Human Rights", a paper presented at CESNUR conference, Jerusalem, 3. 7. 2017.
33. Tabor, James D., and Eugene V. Gallagher, Why Waco?, Berkeley etc.: University of California Press 1995, 256 p.
34. Wolfsburger, Axel, "Der Krieg um Gottes Kinder" (online), FOCUS Magazin 47 (2002), 18. 11. 2002, retrieved 14. 3. 2017, available online at http://www.focus.de/panorama/reportage/reportage-der-krieg-um-gottes-kinder_aid_206210.html.
35. Wolfsgruber, Axel, "Sekten-Aussteiger: 'Sie brechen Deinen Willen'" (online), FOCUS Magazin 21 (2012), 21. 5. 2012, retrieved 10. 9. 2016, available online at http://www.focus.de/magazin/archiv/tid-26021/glaubensgemeinschaft-zwoelf-staemme-im-focus-report-sekten-aussteiger-sie-brechen-deinen-willen-nochmal-aendern_aid_762194.html.
36. Wright, Stuart A., "Exploring Factors That Shape the Apostate Role", in David G. Bromley (ed.), The Politics of Religious Apostasy: The Role of Apostates in the Transformation of Religious Movements, Westport, London: Praeger 1998, p. 95–114.
37. Wright, Stuart A., Leaving Cults: The Dynamics of Defection, Washington: Society for the Scientific Study of Religion 1987, 124 p.
38. Wright, Stuart A., and Susan J. Palmer, Storming Zion: Government Raids on Religious Communities, New York: Oxford University Press 2016, 288 p. CrossRef
The Role of the Apostates in the Twelve Tribes conflict in Germany is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
157 x 230 mm
vychází: 2 x ročně
cena tištěného čísla: 180 Kč
ISSN: 2533-7955
E-ISSN: 2570-4893
